


A Light in the Dark

by Alvinola



Category: Supernatural RPF, Walker (TV 2020), Walker Texas Ranger (TV 2020)
Genre: Crossover, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-31
Updated: 2021-02-05
Packaged: 2021-03-18 09:29:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,325
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29116041
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alvinola/pseuds/Alvinola
Summary: Cordell is in a bar, trying to drown his sorrows, when he meets a beautiful, green-eyed man who needs his help.
Relationships: Cordell Walker/Jensen Ackles, Jensen Ackles/Cordell Walker (Walker TV 2021)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 34





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I have no idea where this has come from, but I love the idea of protective Walker...!

Cordell’s vision swam when he looked at himself in the mirror. Blinking, he tried to bring his reflection into focus. When it did, he flinched. He didn’t know what he was expecting, but the drawn complexion and dark bags underneath his eyes weren’t really all that flattering.

Clearing his throat, he lowered his gaze and stared into the stained sink. The loud music from the bar was still thumping in his chest and he heard the muffled sound of a country song he should probably know the name of.

The door to the restroom suddenly flew open and he spun around. Instinctively, he reached for the gun he usually had strapped to his waist. Only, it wasn’t there. He wasn’t on duty right now. He was here to _relax_ , to get rid of the constant tension in his body.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you,” a man, green-eyed and about his age, said with a soft smile. He wore a pair of ripped jeans and a tight, black shirt. He looked gorgeous.

“Yeah, no worries,” Cordell muttered and turned back to the sink. He lowered his head and took a deep breath. Both, exhaustion and the alcohol in his system, made his head spin. He swallowed.

“Are you okay, man?” Green-Eyes asked and Cordell looked up. He met the man’s gaze in the mirror and arousal tightened his gut. He quickly looked away and cleared his throat. “I’m fine,” he rasped.

“Alright,” the stranger said, sounding wary. “Maybe get yourself a glass of water or something, okay?”

Cordell grunted in acknowledgement. He heard one of the stall doors squeak and looked up just in time to see the attractive man close it behind his back. To stop himself from kicking in the door and ripping the clothes off the man’s toned body, he pushed away from the sink and shoved the door open, heading back to the bar.

“Dude, where have you been?” Liam asked and nudged a shot glass closer to his brother. “Bottom’s up.” Without hesitation, Cordell picked up the shot and tossed it back. His brother whistled. “Not bad.”

Liam kept rambling on about stuff for the rest of the night. Cordell tried to pay attention, but most of it got drowned out by his own thoughts. Glancing into the crowd, he unintentionally sought out Green-Eyes again, but the man was nowhere to be seen.

At two in the morning, they called it a night. Cordell dragged his drunk brother outside and was already heading for one of the cabs, when someone bumped into him from behind. “Watch it!” he growled and turned around. He froze when he was met with a pair of familiar green eyes.

“S-Sorry,” the stranger from the restroom slurred.

Sighing, Cordell shoved his brother into the backseat of one of the waiting cabs and turned to face Green-Eyes. “Need me to call you a cab?” he offered. He had no idea how he ended up playing babysitter for _two_ drunk guys.

The man blinked his eyes. “N-No.”

“Look, you’re clearly drunk. Let me—”

“N-No,” Green-Eyes repeated. Cordell was about to protest when the man spoke again, “I’m not… I’m n-not drunk,” he slurred. A flash of pain passed over the handsome face and he wrapped an arm around his stomach with a grunt.

Alarm bells started to ring in Cordell’s head and he looked around. Scanning the people that were gathered outside the bar, he noticed a bulky, dark-clad man with a leatherjacket who was watching them intently. He was smoking a cigarette, but the vile smirk on his lips was unmistakable.

Making a decision, Cordell grabbed the stranger’s arm and then turned back to the cab driver. He gave them his address with the order to take his brother home and get him safely inside. The cabbie took the money, plus a generous tip, and drove off.

When Cordell turned back to the man slumped against his side, he wasn’t all that surprised to see the slime bag with the leatherjacket waltz toward them. “Hands off. He’s _mine_ ,” the man spat.

Narrowing his eyes, Cordell wrapped a protective arm around the stranger and tucked him against his side. “I’ll give you exactly three seconds to get out of my sight,” he warned.

The man laughed, showing rows of ugly, yellow teeth. Then his gaze darkened and he stabbed a finger at Cordell’s chest. “This one is _mine_. Get your own.”

“Three.”

“I’m not scared of you.”

“Two.”

“Get out of my way!”

“One.”

“I don’t—”

The crunch of bones was audible when Cordell punched the man in the face. Howling in pain, the guy took an unsteady step back, clutching his broken nose. Blood was pouring down his chin and his face was red with anger. “I’m going to end you!” he roared.

Cordell dug into his pocket and pulled out his badge. He shoved it in the man’s face. “You better get lost before I arrest you for spiking people’s drinks. And if I _ever_ see you here again, I’m going to make sure you rot behind bars for a very long time. Understood?”

The man’s eyed widened in fear when he saw Cordell’s badge. He stammered out an apology, before he tucked his tail between his legs and stumbled away.

As soon as the man disappeared around the corner, Cordell looked down at the man in his arms. He was trembling now and his breathing was a little erratic. Worry settled in Cordell’s stomach and he clenched his teeth. The man needed help.

Knocking on his partner’s door at three in the morning probably wasn’t the smartest idea, but he didn’t know where else to go. Micki’s place was just three blocks from the bar and, if he remembered correctly, her boyfriend—the _paramedic_ —was still around.

He had just raised his hand to ring the doorbell a third time, when the door opened. Micki’s eyes widened in surprise when she saw him. “What the hell are you doing here in the middle of the night?”

Not bothering with an explanation, Cordell brushed past her, dragging the barely conscious stranger inside with him.

“Walker, hey! What the hell are you doing?!” Micki yelled, as she followed him into her living room.

“I need your help,” Cordell said as he sat Green-Eyes down on the couch. He looked over his shoulder at his partner. “Not _yours_ , exactly. I need Trey’s.”

Micki’s eyes flickered to the man on her couch and she crossed her arms over her chest. “What did you do to him?”

“ _I_ didn’t do anything,” Cordell growled. “I think he was drugged.”

“And you brought him _here_?! He needs a _hospital_!”

“Who needs a hospital?” Glancing past Micki, Cordell blew out a breath when he saw Trey step out of the bedroom. He rubbed his eyes and squinted against the bright light in the living room. When he noticed the man sitting on the couch, he frowned. “Who’s that?”

“He’s been drugged,” Cordell repeated.

Any lingering sleep instantly vanished from Trey’s face. “Do you know what he was given?” he asked, face stern, as he crouched down in front of the stranger. He took the man’s wrist in his hands and pressed down on his pulse point.

Cordell shook his head. “No idea.”

“Alright,” Trey said before looking at his girlfriend. “Get my medical bag, please.”

Micki only hesitated a second before she turned around and hurried to get Trey’s bag.

While Trey examined the man, Cordell patted down his pockets. When he felt a wallet, he pulled it out and flipped it open. Scanning all of the cards, he eventually pulled out the guy’s driver’s license. “His name is Jensen. He’s from around here.”

“Jensen, can you hear me?” Trey asked.

The green eyes sluggishly moved toward the voice. Jensen blinked slowly.

Trey took the man’s wobbly head in his hands. “Jensen, can you tell me how you feel?”

“S-Sick…” Jensen slurred.

Trey pursed his lips. “His vitals don’t look too bad, but I think his body is going to try to expel the drugs. Let’s move him to the bathroom.”

“I got it,” Cordell said and stood up. He gently pulled Jensen to his feet and led him to the bathroom down the hall. After lowering the man to his knees, he took off his overshirt and tossed it over the edge of the bathtub, leaving him in only his sleeveless undershirt.

Micki lingered in the doorway, chewing on her lower lip. “Are you sure this is a good idea? You don’t even know him.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Cordell grunted. He knelt down next to Jensen and put a hand on his back. “Close the door.”

With a loud sigh, Micki gave up. Running a hang through her dark hair, she nodded to a room just across from the bathroom. “I’ll get the guestroom ready for you. Or him. Hell, I don’t even know…” she sighed.

“Thank you,” Cordell said and he meant it.

As soon as the door was closed, the only noise inside the small bathroom was Jensen’s harsh breathing. His entire body was trembling and his hands were clutching his stomach. Cordell tried to sooth him by slowly rubbing his back. “You’re okay,” he murmured. Jensen suddenly gagged. “It alright. Just get it out.”

Cordell spent the next hour and a half glued to Jensen’s side. He wiped him down with wet towels, kept him upright and held his head over the toilet when he threw up. He rubbed his back, pushed back his sweaty bangs and made sure to keep him hydrated.

It was almost five in the morning when Jensen slumped against his chest, completely exhausted and worn out. Gathering the man up in his arms, Cordell carried him to the guestroom, where he carefully laid him down on his side. He shoved a pillow behind his back, made sure he was warm enough and then dragged a chair over to the bed. Sitting down, he watched Jensen sleep until his own eyes fluttered closed and he nodded off.

The rustling of clothes caused Cordell’s eyes to fly open. It took him a moment to remember where he was, but when he recognized the beautiful face in front of him, he relaxed.

Jensen was staring at him with an expression that portrait equal parts confusion, fear and pain. His eyes were definitely clearer than a few hours ago, but he still seemed a little out of it.

“Take it easy,” Cordell said softly when the man moved to sit up. As soon as he was semi-upright, Jensen grimaced and wrapped an arm around his middle. Cordell frowned. “Is it your stomach?”

Jensen swallowed thickly and Cordell managed to shove a bucket under his chin a second before he vomited. It was mostly just water and bile.

When he was done, Cordell took the bucket and replaced it with a glass of water. “Drink this.”

With some reluctance, Jensen accepted the water and took a careful sip. He drained half the glass before he gave Cordell a wary look. “Who are you? And where am I?” he croaked.

“My name is Cordell Walker. I’m a Texas Ranger,” he began and showed Jensen his badge. “We met at a bar yesterday. I think you were drugged, which is why I took you to my partner’s house. Her boyfriend is a paramedic.”

Jensen screwed up his face and pressed a hand to his temple. His other one rubbed his stomach. “Is that why my head feels like it’s going to explode and my gut is cramping like crazy…?”

“Probably,” Cordell shrugged. “But you’re going to be fine. You threw up a good amount of the drugs and the rest is working its way out of your system as we speak.”

Jensen nodded. “Great,” he mumbled.

“Is there anyone I should call? Family, friend… girlfriend?”

Jensen shook his head. “No, uh… No. No girlfriend. And no need to call anyone else right now. Not while I still feel like I’m going to puke.” He looked at Cordell with a pained wince. “You’re not some psycho dude who’s going to kill me, right?”

Cordell snorted. “If I would want to kill you, I’d have done it already.”

“Right,” Jensen nodded and a small smile tugged at the corners of his lips. But just as quickly, his expression morphed into a grimace of pain. He doubled over with a groan and clutched his stomach.

“You okay?” Cordell asked, worried, as he moved from sitting in the chair to sitting on the edge of the bed.

Jensen exhaled shakily. “Cramps…”

Cordell slowly reached out and touched the man’s shoulder. When he didn’t flinch away, he moved his other hand to Jensen’s arm. “Why don’t you lay back down? It’s still early and I promise I won’t kill you in your sleep.”

Jensen looked like he was going to protest, but his body was still exhausted and not ready to be up and about. “Okay, fine…” he agreed and allowed Cordell to push him back down. He curled up on his side, arms wrapped around his middle and knees drawn up to his chest. Cordell watched him for a couple of minutes, until he noticed the slight shivering. “Are you cold?” he asked.

“A little.”

Hesitating only a second or two, Cordell crawled onto the bed and wrapped around Jensen from behind. He pulled the man’s shorter body closer to his chest and looped an arm protectively around his waist. “You’re safe,” he promised quietly. He felt Jensen relax and some of the tension ebbed out of his body.

“Thank you,” Jensen murmured. “For getting me out of there. I’d like to take you out for a _thank you for saving my ass_ dinner, if that’s okay with you?”

Cordell chuckled. “I’d like that.”

The both got quiet after that and Cordell thought Jensen had fallen back asleep. But when Jensen’s breaths kept hitching and his fingers kept spasming on his stomach, he knew the man was still awake.

Slowly, Cordell slid his hand from the man’s waist to his stomach. He carefully slipped it underneath his shirt and let his fingers ghost over the warm skin. When Jensen didn’t stop him, he placed his entire hand down on his belly and started rubbing slow, soothing circles. A few minutes later, Jensen’s breathing evened out.

Looking down at the sleeping man in his arms, Cordell smiled. Maybe he should stop dwelling on the past and focus on the future instead. He was never going to get Emily back, but that didn't mean he could never love again.

Ducking down, he lightly brushed his lips over Jensen's cheek and chuckled when he hummed happily. Maybe, this was the start of his future.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because a couple of you asked for a second chapter; here it is. Enjoy!

Cordell was engrossed in a file he'd dug up from the archive, when someone called his name. "Walker, there's someone here who wants to talk to you." With a frown, he pushed his chair back and headed to the front of the station.

His steps slowed when he met a pair of familiar green eyes. "Jensen," he said in surprise. He hadn't heard from the man since that night at the bar and the last place he'd expected to run into him again was at work.

"Hey," Jensen replied with a smile that made Cordell's stomach tighten. "I'm sorry for just showing up like that. I was in the area and thought I could take you out for that steak I owe you. I hope you haven't had lunch yet?"

Cordell blinked. "No, I— I haven't eaten yet," he replied and stared at the man in front of him. In broad daylight, Jensen looked even better. His handsome face was covered in a light dusting of freckles and Cordell wanted to run his fingers through the short, dirt blond hair. Long lashes framed the forest green eyes and Cordell felt heat pool low in his belly.

Jensen cleared his throat and his eyes snapped back to the green eyes. "My truck's parked out front, if—" Jensen began and hooked a thumb over his shoulder.

"Yeah, yeah. Just— Gimme a minute to get my stuff," Cordell responded and tried to stop himself from staring at the soft lips he so desperately wanted to taste. With a stiff smile, he turned around and walked back to his desk to get his things.

This wasn't like him. He didn't _do_ nervous and awkward, but there was something about Jensen, about the way he looked at him, that made him feel like a horny teenager. It was embarrassing.

Jensen took him to a barbecue place about five miles down the road. Cordell had passed the restaurant a couple of times already on his way to work, but he'd never given it a second glance. It didn't look like much from the outside, but what the place lacked in décor, it more than made up for with its extensive variety of steak and other meat. Because it wasn't quite lunchtime yet, the restaurant was fairly empty.

"Thanks again for saving my ass the other day," Jensen said after they placed their orders. His thumb was absentmindedly rubbing up and down his glass and Cordell found himself staring at it.

"Don't mention it," he said, eyes flickering back to Jensen's face. "How are you doing?"

Jensen huffed out a small laugh. "I'm not going to set foot in another bar for the time being, that's for sure," he smiled. "But I'm okay."

"Good. I'm glad to hear that," Cordell said and returned the smile.

Just then, their server reappeared with two small plates. "On the house," he announced and set the food down in front of them. "Enjoy."

Cordell frowned at the man's retreating back. He looked vaguely familiar, but he couldn't quite remember where he'd seen him before. There was something about the slanted eyes and pointy chin that looked slightly familiar to him.

Deciding to not dwell on it and enjoy the company of the man across from him instead, Cordell picked up his fork and started eating.

"So," Jensen said when they finished their appetizer. "Tell me about yourself, _Ranger Walker_."

Cordell hesitated. It was just a normal question, but he didn't know how to answer it. As attracted as he was to Jensen, he didn’t know how much he wanted to share about himself or his past just yet. "Well," he began, playing absentmindedly with his napkin. "I was born in Austin and my family owns a range a bit further south. My kids and I live on the property as well and help out sometimes."

Jensen smiled. "You have kids?" he asked and took a sip of water.

"Yeah," Cordell replied. "A boy and a girl." Before Jensen had the chance to ask more questions about his family, Cordell quickly changed the subject, "What about you? Any kids? Or a pet, maybe?"

Jensen laughed, green eyes sparkling. "No, no kids. And no pets, either," he said. "I was born and raised in Dallas and, after college, I traveled a lot. Spent three years in South America and a few months here and there. It was great. I opened up a brewery with a friend of mine a couple of years ago, down in Dripping Springs. We…" He cleared his throat. "Sorry. We were really lucky. The location is great and it's easy to get there by car or…" Jensen's voice trailed off again and he swallowed. "Sorry," he apologized again and smiled self-consciously.

Cordell frowned. "You okay?"

Looking embarrassed, Jensen nodded. "Yeah, yeah. I'm just… a little dizzy is all."

Worry tightened Cordell's gut when sweat started to appear at Jensen's hairline. His tanned face was starting to lose color and his previously clear eyes took on an unhealthy shine. Jensen took a shaky breath. "I think I need some fresh air…"

Cordell shoved his chair back when Jensen pushed to his feet, only to collapse back in his chair again. Reaching across the table, Cordell grabbed Jensen's arm. He had a horrible feeling of _déjà-vu_.

"Is everything alright, gentlemen?"

Cordell spun around and came face to face with their server. He was just about to demand an ambulance, when he suddenly remember where he knew the face in front of him from. His mind flashed back to the case he'd worked last month. They'd blown up a cartel who had smuggled drugs from Mexico to the US and sold them all over the states. The ringleader, who didn't want to surrender peacefully, had started shooting at them. In order to protect himself and others, Cordell had taken him out. The fact that the man in front of him looked almost identical to the men's he'd shot couldn't be a coincident. Narrowing his eyes, Cordell put himself between Jensen and the "server". "Who are you?" he growled.

The man grinned darkly. "All in good time, _Ranger_."

Cordell was about to lunge forward, when a wave of dizziness washed over him. His limbs suddenly felt like jelly and his head spun. The face in front of him blurred and he frantically blinked his eyes to clear his vision. A pair of hands grabbed his upper arm and he snarled. With gritted teeth, he struggled against the hold, but his body kept getting heavier. Through blurred eyes, he saw another man yank Jensen to his feet.

The man with the slanted eyes smirked. "Let's get them both outside for some fresh air."

The last thing Cordell was aware of before he lost consciousness, was an overwhelming feeling of guilt and worry. Guilt, because he'd dragged Jensen into a mess that had nothing to do with him, and worry because whatever these men had planned, couldn’t be good.

A dripping sound was the first thing Cordell became aware of. Peeling his sticky eyelids apart, he blinked up at a bare concrete ceiling. A single lightbulb was dangling from it, swaying softly from side to side. Frowning, he realized that he wasn't familiar with any of that. The fact that he couldn't even remember how he'd ended up here woke him up even more.

The fog in his mind slowly began to lift and he closed his eyes when bits and pieces of what had happened came back to him. He recalled going to work, doing paperwork, heading out for lunch with Jensen… Jensen!

Cordell's eyes sprang open. Suddenly, everything came rushing back. Struggling against the lingering heaviness in his body, he sat up.

The room he was in tilted sharply to the right once he was upright and he felt bile rise in the back of his throat. Probably a lingering effect of whatever drug he’d been given. Swallowing thickly, he looked around. His sight was still a little blurry and he blinked quickly when his eyes refused to focus on anything.

His stomach dropped when he noticed a motionless body sprawled a few feet away. With gritted teeth, Cordell crawled toward Jensen's limp form. He quickly pressed two fingers against Jensen’s throat and dropped his head in relief when he felt a slow, but steady, pulse. "Thank god," he breathed.

Cordell touched Jensen’s shoulder and shook him gently. He didn’t look hurt, but he needed the man to be awake to make completely sure. When Jensen let out a quiet moan, Cordell cupped his cheek. “Jensen, hey. Open your eyes.”

Green eyes slowly blinked open. A furrow appeared between Jensen’s brows and his gaze settled sluggishly on Cordell’s. “Wha’ happened?” he slurred.

Disregarding the question for now until he figured out what exactly to tell Jensen, Cordell steered the conversation elsewhere, “Are you hurt?”

Jensen, obviously, wasn’t stupid. “Didn’t answer my question,” he muttered and slowly moved to sit up. Cordell shifted his arm behind his back to help. Jensen’s face paled and he squeezed his eyes shut. “I think I’m gonna be sick…”

“Easy. Just breathe. The drugs are still messing with your body.”

Jensen stilled. “The drugs?”

“Yeah,” Cordell muttered, as he raked his gaze up and down Jensen’s body. He was a little pale and shaky, but otherwise seemed unharmed. “I think they put something in our food.” He stood up and headed to the door that led out of the small cellar they were in. It was locked. Patting himself down, he wasn’t surprised to see that he’d been stripped of all of his belongings.

“They? Who are _they_?” Jensen asked. “What are you talking about?”

Cordell turned around and ran a hand through his hair. “Don’t worry, I’ll get us out of here.”

Jensen huffed out an aggravated breath and staggered to his feet. “Stop dodging my questions.” He took one step forward and almost fell when his legs buckled.

Cordell lunged forward and grabbed him around the waist. He shuddered when he inhaled Jensen’s cologne and quickly turned his head away. This was neither the place nor the time. “Take it easy,” he muttered, as he led him over to a brittle wooden box in the corner.

Jensen sat down with a weary sigh and rubbed at his temple. Probably a headache. “Drugged twice in one month. That’s got to be some kind of record…”

“You’d be surprised,” Cordell replied casually and went back to checking out the room they were being held in.

“ _Awesome_ ,” Jensen muttered.

Cordell shook the doorhandle, but it refused to budge. Running his fingers along the edge of it, he tried to find a weak spot, but the wood was sturdy and thick. With a huff, he turned and looked around the rest of the room. There was a small window, high up on the wall, but neither he nor Jensen would have been able to squeeze through it. Other than that, the room was completely bare and empty.

Jensen cleared his throat. “I’m going to repeat my earlier questions again. What happened, why are we here and who is _they_?”

Without anything else to do, Cordell walked over to Jensen and sat down next to him on the wooden box. Their thighs touched and he found himself wanting to shift even closer. He didn’t, though, because his first priority was getting Jensen out of here. If, for some abstruse reason, Jensen _still_ wanted to go out with him after this mess was over, then he’d think more about physical contact.

Cordell sighed. “My partner and I busted some people last month for smuggling and selling drugs, and I shot one of them. And now his brother wants revenge. The guy at the restaurant? Our server? He’s the brother.”

Jensen’s face paled even further. He swallowed thickly and licked his dry lips. “W-What?”

Guilt tightened Cordell’s gut. Even though he didn’t want to show it, Jensen was scared. His green eyes were wide with fear and his hands were trembling. “Look, as I said, I’m going to get us out of here. I promise.”

“How are you going to do that? The door is locked,” Jensen reminded him.

“Sooner or later, they’re going to come back,” Cordell said and stood up. He motioned for Jensen to get off the box and then picked it up. Turning around, he threw the box as hard as he could against the wall. It splintered with a loud crash. Looking through the pile, Cordell picked up a piece of wood that was long and sharp. He grinned at Jensen. “We just need to be ready for them.”

Just like Cordell predicted, it didn’t take long for someone to come back. Pressing his ear against the locked door, he listened. He could hear one pair of boots make their way down the hallway. Motioning for Jensen to get as far away from the entrance as possible, Cordell pressed himself against the wall right next to the door. With bated breath, he waited.

Keys jingled in the lock and Cordell got ready to attack. As soon as the door swung open, he leapt forward. Grabbing the person’s arm, he yanked the man inside and kneed him in the stomach. He black-haired perp doubled over with a grunt.

“He’s got a gun!” Jensen suddenly yelled, right before a shot rang out that whizzed right past Cordell’s ear. Using the piece of wood in his hand, Cordell whacked the man in the face with it. He fell to his knees, stunned.

Cordell was about to knock him out for good, when he was yanked back by someone. He kicked out his legs, but hit nothing but air. His stomach dropped when he watched the black-haired man slowly climb to his feet again and advance toward Jensen.

Before he could do anything, though, he was spun around and punched in the face by a blond guy. Cordell blocked the next punch and kicked out, this time catching the man in the knee. He went down with a pained howl.

Cordell looked over his shoulder, just in time to see the other perp strike Jensen across the face with the butt of his gun. Jensen collapsed limply to the floor.

The man was pointing his gun at Jensen, ready to shoot him, when Cordell lunged forward. He tackled the guy to the ground, causing his gun to fly out of his hands. They struggled, evenly matched, until Cordell fisted the man’s greasy dark hair and slammed his head into the concrete. Once, twice, then he was out.

Crawling off the unconscious man, Cordell was stumbling over to Jensen when another shot rang out. Pain exploded in his right shoulder as he fell against the wall. “Son of a—”

The blond was on him then, punching and raging. With his right arm useless, Cordell struggled to dodge the punches aimed at his head and face. “We should have killed you on the spot!” the man growled, spittle flying from his mouth. Bringing the gun up, he pressed it against the spot between Cordell’s eyebrows. “Time to say goodbye.”

Cordell flinched when a shot echoed through the room. He readied himself for the pain, but none came. He opened his eyes, confused, and stared at the man who was still straddling him. Blood was starting to soak the blond’s shirt and a second later, he toppled over and fell off Cordell’s body.

Movement caught his eye and Cordell looked at Jensen. Pale, and with blood running down the side of his face, he was sitting up against the wall. His shaking hands were wrapped around the gun the first perp had dropped.

“Jensen,” Cordell breathed and quickly sat up. He groaned at the fire in his shoulder, but he had bigger problems now. “Jensen, put the gun down,” he said calmly.

Jensen’s wide eyes flickered from the guy he’d just shot to Cordell. His body was completely frozen for a moment. Suddenly, he dropped the gun as if it had burned him, and twisted to the side to throw up.

“Crap,” Cordell muttered and quickly staggered to his feet. He fell to his knees next to Jensen and gripped his shoulder. “Jensen. Jen, hey,” he said. Jensen was shaking life a leaf and Cordell wasn’t sure if it was due to shock or the concussion he probably had.

When he was done vomiting, Jensen rightened himself and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “I just killed someone…” he croaked.

“You didn’t have a choice,” Cordell said quietly. His eyes drifted to the two men that were lying either dead or unconscious on the floor. He grimaced. “We have to get out of here. Neither one of those is the brother I talked about. We need to leave before he comes back.”

He didn’t wait for a reply before he got back up and leaned down to haul Jensen to his feet. He gritted his teeth when the pain in his shoulder worsened, but he had made a promise to Jensen. A promise which he indented to keep. He would worry about his bullet wound later.


End file.
